Henrico County White Collar Crime Defense Attorney
White collar cases rarely start with an arrest.
They start with a phone call, a letter, or a meeting that you were not expecting.
An employer schedules an audit. A bank freezes an account. A detective asks to “go over some paperwork.” And by the time charges are filed, investigators may have spent months reviewing records and building a story about what those records mean. Often, the person under investigation is a professional with a career, a license, and a reputation that took years to build.
At Peters Law Firm, PLLC, we step in as early as possible, ideally before charges are filed, to protect your rights and your record. If an employer, auditor, or investigator has contacted you about missing funds, or you have already been charged, contact us to talk through your situation in confidence.
Understanding White Collar Charges in Virginia
“White collar crime” is not a single charge in Virginia law.
It describes a group of nonviolent offenses that are built around money, documents, and trust. Many of them are punished as larceny, which means the value involved often decides whether the charge is a misdemeanor or a felony.
Embezzlement (Va. Code § 18.2-111)
Embezzlement is the wrongful use or concealment of money or property that was entrusted to you, often by an employer, a business partner, or a client.
Virginia punishes embezzlement as larceny, meaning that amounts of $1,000 or more are charged as grand larceny, which carry 1 to 20 years. While smaller amounts are petit larceny, and are charged as a Class 1 misdemeanor. And prosecution may take place where the alleged victim lives, not only where the money was handled.
Public employees face a separate statute. Misusing public funds under § 18.2-112 is a Class 4 felony, carrying 2 to 10 years. Bank and corporate officers accused of altering account entries to conceal the true state of an account face a Class 4 felony under § 18.2-113.
Obtaining Money by False Pretenses (Va. Code § 18.2-178)
False pretenses apply when someone is accused of obtaining money or property through a false statement of fact made with intent to defraud.
Similar to embezzlement, it is punished as larceny, which is ultimately based on value. Obtaining someone’s signature on a document through a false pretense is a Class 4 felony.
Forgery and Uttering (Va. Code §§ 18.2-168, 18.2-172)
Forgery is falsely making or materially altering a document to the prejudice of another person’s rights.
Uttering is using or attempting to use a forged document, knowing it is forged.
Each of these crimes is a separate Class 5 felony under § 18.2-172, so a single forged check can produce two charges, carrying a sentence of 1 to 10 years.
Forging a public record is a Class 4 felony under § 18.2-168.
Bad Check Charges (Va. Code §§ 18.2-181, 18.2-181.1)
Writing a check with intent to defraud, knowing there are not enough funds to cover it, is a Class 1 misdemeanor when the check is under $1,000 and a Class 6 felony at $1,000 or more.
Smaller checks can also be combined for this charge, meaning that two or more bad checks written within 90 days on the same account to the same payee, totaling $1,000 or more, are also a Class 6 felony.
Timing matters in these cases.
Under § 18.2-183, the law presumes intent to defraud when a check bounces, but that presumption does not apply if the full amount, interest, and any protest fees are paid within five days of receiving a written notice.
Identity Theft (Va. Code § 18.2-186.3)
Using another person’s identifying information without permission to obtain money, credit, goods, or identification documents starts as a Class 1 misdemeanor.
It becomes a Class 6 felony when the financial loss reaches $1,000 or on a second conviction.
Cases involving the sale or distribution of information from five or more people in one transaction are Class 5 felonies, and 50 or more people raises the charge to a Class 4 felony.
The case may be prosecuted wherever the person whose information was used lives.
Credit Card and Gift Card Offenses (Va. Code §§ 18.2-192, 18.2-193, 18.2-195)
Virginia treats credit card theft as grand larceny regardless of the amount.
Credit card forgery is a Class 5 felony. Credit card fraud is a Class 1 misdemeanor when the value is under $1,000 in any six-month period, and a Class 6 felony at $1,000 or more.
As of 2026, these statutes also expressly cover gift cards and gift card redemption information, which reflects how often gift cards now appear in fraud investigations.
Other Financial Crimes
- False statements to obtain credit (§ 18.2-186): Knowingly submitting a false written financial statement to obtain a loan or credit.
- Financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult (§ 18.2-178.1): Taking money or property from an elderly or incapacitated person by using that person’s impairment. This crime is also punished as larceny. These cases commonly arise from family disputes over a parent’s finances or a power of attorney.
Why White Collar Investigations Are Different
Most criminal cases begin with an arrest and an investigation that follows.
Financial cases often work the other way around.
Investigators gather bank statements, emails, invoices, and accounting records first, then decide whether to charge and make an arrest.
That creates both a risk and an opportunity.
The risk is that a well-meaning explanation to an employer, an auditor, or a detective becomes the Commonwealth’s best evidence. The opportunity is that a lawyer who is brought in early can sometimes shape the outcome before a charge is ever filed, by addressing records, explaining transactions, or negotiating a resolution.
Some financial investigations also involve federal agencies, especially when they cross state lines or involve banks, the mail, or wire transfers.
How White Collar Cases Move Through Local Courts
Lower-value offenses, such as a bad check under $1,000, are misdemeanors resolved in the General District Court.
Felony financial charges usually pass through that court for a preliminary hearing, then go before a grand jury and on to the Circuit Court.
Financial cases are also more likely than most to be brought by direct indictment, meaning that the Commonwealth takes the case straight to a grand jury and skips the preliminary hearing.
And because Virginia allows many of these offenses to be prosecuted where the alleged victim lives or where any part of the scheme took place, a case involving a business in Goochland, a bank in Richmond, and a client in New Kent could potentially be filed in more than one place.
How We Defend White Collar Charges
Financial cases are document cases, and documents rarely speak for themselves.
The questions we typically press include:
- Intent to defraud. Nearly every white collar offense requires it. Accounting mistakes, sloppy bookkeeping, and honest disputes over what someone was owed are not crimes.
- Authorization. Many embezzlement cases involve transactions that were approved, informally permitted, or consistent with how the business actually operated.
- Value and aggregation. The total the Commonwealth alleges may combine transactions that should not be grouped together, or overstate the actual loss.
- The paper trail. We review the records independently, and when needed, work with forensic accountants to test the Commonwealth’s numbers.
- Who actually did it. Shared logins, shared accounts, and shared access are common in workplaces and families. Access is not proof of action.
- The investigation. Overbroad search warrants, statements taken without proper warnings, and records obtained improperly can all be challenged.
When the facts support a negotiated outcome, we pursue resolutions that protect your record and your license, including restitution agreements and deferred dispositions under § 19.2-298.02 when available.
What Is at Stake
A financial crime conviction can follow you long after any sentence ends.
Depending on the charge, you may face:
- Prison or jail time, along with fines that can reach $100,000 for Class 4 felonies
- Court-ordered restitution, which can be substantial when the alleged loss is spread over months or years
- Loss of professional licenses in fields such as accounting, nursing, real estate, insurance, and finance
- A conviction for an offense involving dishonesty, which employers, licensing boards, and courts may weigh heavily when judging your credibility
- Civil lawsuits from employers, businesses, or individuals seeking to recover the same money
- Possible effects on immigration status for non-citizen clients
Why Peters Law Firm for Financial Crime Cases
Financial cases reward patience and attention to detail, and they are easier to get right when more than one attorney is reading the file. That team review is built into how Peters Law Firm handles every matter.
Rebecca Peters, who founded the firm, shapes each defense around the client’s actual circumstances. In a financial case, that means understanding what your job, license, and reputation depend on, not just the allegation. Our team works to build a strategy that protects all of the above.
Many white collar clients care about discretion as much as the outcome. We treat every matter confidentially and return every call or message within 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions About White Collar Charges in Virginia
Repayment does not undo an offense that has already occurred, and after charges are filed, only the prosecutor can agree to drop them. Repayment can still significantly affect negotiations and sentencing, and in bad check cases, paying within five days of written notice removes the legal presumption of intent to defraud.
A preliminary protective order is issued at or before the bond hearing and takes effect immediately. It prohibits contact with the protected person and may require vacating a shared residence. A full hearing is scheduled within approximately 15 days. A permanent protective order, if issued, can remain in effect for up to two years and is renewable.
Yes. Virginia treats forging a document and using it as two separate Class 5 felonies, which is one reason these charges can stack up quickly.
Yes. Most white collar offenses involve electronic transfers, account entries, or documents rather than physical property. The legal question is whether the Commonwealth can prove intent to defraud, not whether anything changed hands in person.
No. In financial cases, the period before charges are filed is often when a lawyer can do the most good.
Contact Peters Law Firm Today
Your career and reputation are worth protecting.
Peters Law Firm is based in Glen Allen and represents people facing financial crime charges across Henrico, Richmond, Goochland, and New Kent, north and west into Stafford, Spotsylvania, Louisa, and Powhatan, and east through Caroline, King and Queen, and the Williamsburg and James City area.
Call (804) 572-8265 or use our contact form to schedule a confidential consultation.
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